Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very grateful to the Chairman. Will An Post explore its relationship with the Irish Postmasters Union, IPU? There seems to have been a breakdown of communications. The word on the street we heard was there is deep distrust in the IPU of An Post. Is there a liaison committee by which the IPU is kept fully informed or is it a case it is met when a new initiative is announced? It would be much more productive to have a regular structured meeting format. The feedback we receive is it is not kept informed on what is going on. I came to the conclusion the problem lay not so much with the Government but with An Post itself because it does not give any indication of its business model. The witnesses have outlined much in their presentation, but they have not sold the idea An Post promotes, supports and defends the post office network. This is not what comes across I must say.

The last time representatives from An Post came before the committee I raised the issue of its marketing. I am astonished to hear it spends €3 million. Perhaps it is time for it to revise its marketing strategy. Perhaps it might consider that it may not be productive to spend all of the money internally. Perhaps it should spend more on radio, television and social networks giving more details of the type of services it provides. A slogan used by the IPU for years was use it or lose it. This does not come across at all. I understand perfectly the sensitivities involved and that An Post does not want to spread a message the network is in danger.

Did An Post make representations to the Government on the changes in the interest rates? The banks seemed to go in the back door when An Post went out the front door, in that An Post enjoyed a superior interest rate which was very attractive to savers and could have been built on.

The ground was swept from under An Post by a Government decision that seemed to have resulted from lobbying by the banks to reduce the interest rate on An Post products and make them more competitive with bank interest rates, which seems to be an oxymoron.

What I think is important is communication between An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union and better marketing of services. I would be interested to learn from An Post its input into the decision on interest rates.